Maintaining Aging General Aviation Airplanes

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Maintaining Aging General Aviation Airplanes

• Presented by
• Alabama Northwest Florida Flight Standards
  District Office

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Introduction

• General Aviation (GA) Fleet of 150,000 averaged
  more than 30 years old in 2000.
• By 2020, the average age could approach 50 years.
• Information is targeted for small single-engine
  airplanes however, this information applies to
  the entire GA fleet.
• Information endorsed by the FAA and Industry.

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Background

• GA fleet is being used well beyond the flight
  hours and years envisioned when the aircraft was
  designed.
• The bulk of the fleet is designed to Civil
  Aviation Regulations (CAR) 3 standards developed
  in the 1950s or earlier.
• Most airplanes are rarely inspected beyond a
  non-intrusive annual or 100 hr inspection
  required by 14 CFR 43.15, Appendix D.

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Purpose

• These recommended practices are similar to
  suggested physical exams that doctors recommend.
• These recommendations provide a baseline
  airplane-wide checklist of potential aging
  concerns for critical areas of an airplane.
• Promotes the sharing of information among the GA
  community.

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Best Practices

• Two specific best practices can have a
  fundamental impact on the way maintenance and
  inspection is approached for aging airplanes.
• Airplane records research
• Special attention inspections

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Best Practices Airplane Records Research

• Logbook Entries. (14 CFR 43.9 and 43.11)
• Aircraft Records. (14 CFR 91.417)

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Best Practices Airplane Records Research

• Logbook Entries. (14 CFR 43.9 and 43.11)
• Aircraft Records.
• Type Certificate Data Sheets. (TCDS)

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Best Practices Airplane Records Research

• Logbook Entries. (14 CFR 43.9 and 43.11)
• Aircraft Records.
• Type Certificate Data Sheets. (TCDS)
• Airworthiness Directives. (AD)

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Best Practices Airplane Records Research

• Logbook Entries. (14 CFR 43.9 and 43.11)
• Aircraft Records.
• Type Certificate Data Sheets. (TCDS)
• Airworthiness Directives. (AD)
• Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins.
  (SAIB)

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Best Practices Airplane Records Research

• Logbook Entries. (14 CFR 43.9 and 43.11)
• Aircraft Records.
• Type Certificate Data Sheets. (TCDS)
• Airworthiness Directives. (AD)
• Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins.
  (SAIB)
• Service Bulletins

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Best Practices Airplane Records Research

• Service Difficulty Reports. (SDR)

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Best Practices Airplane Records Research

• Service Difficulty Reports. (SDR)
• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
  Records.

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Best Practices Airplane Records Research

• Service Difficulty Reports. (SDR)
• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
  Records.
• General Aviation Airworthiness Alerts

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Best Practices Airplane Records Research

• Service Difficulty Reports. (SDR)
• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
  Records.
• General Aviation Airworthiness Alerts
• Supplemental Type Certificate (STC)

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Best Practices Special Attention Inspections

• 14 CFR 43.15, Appendix D and manufacturers
  inspections (CH-5) are probably not enough.
• A detailed inspection or series of inspections,
  modifications, parts replacements, or a
  combination of these may be necessary to keep an
  aging airplane operating properly.

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Critical Areas
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Role of Type Clubs

• Type Clubs may already have special inspection
  checklists for your aircraft.
• May determine trends specific to demographics
  such as airplane location, flight hours, etc.
• May provide data regarding field approvals for
  modification and alterations.

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Special Attention

• Inspection Example

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Summary

• Records research, development of a special
  inspection checklist, and inspecting airplanes
  per the checklist provides the safety benefit.
• These benefits can be enhanced when information
  is shared.
• The checklist will be a living document.